HONOLULU (KHON2) — Food insecurity is a growing issue in Hawaiʻi, and the impact of rising food costs, natural disasters and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are deepening this crisis.
As Brandi Saragossa, the Operations Director for Maui Food Bank, explained, the need for food assistance on Maui and neighbor islands has increased dramatically over the last several years.
What was once a relatively stable number of people seeking help has now ballooned and has created a challenge for local organizations working to ensure food security for the most vulnerable.
“Yeah, the need has definitely grown not just since the fires, but also with the cost of living,” Saragossa said. “Agencies are telling us their numbers have doubled, which makes a lot of sense because prior to the fires we would do 250,000 pounds of food a month distributed. Now we’re closer to 800,000.”
The increase in demand for food assistance has prompted Maui Food Bank, in particular, to ramp up its operations significantly.
“Last fiscal year, we distributed 9.3 million pounds of food, up from 3 million the year before. It’s gone through the roof,” she said.
The struggle for food access is deeply intertwined with the high cost of living in Hawaiʻi. The state’s food insecurity rate has been rising steadily with food insecurity in Hawaiʻi climbing from 11.2% in 2018 to 16.8% by 2020. That is according to a study by the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi.
With a projected increase in the cost of living, many Hawaiʻi residents are finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic staples which is leading to a surge in demand for food banks.
The impact of food insecurity is felt most acutely by the island’s families, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet despite having two working parents.
“We’re seeing families — full households, working-class families where mom and dad are both working, sometimes two jobs each — but they’re struggling, especially with the transition people moving from their transitional housing into housing,” Saragossa said. “We’ve also seen people need things like household items, cleaning supplies, dish soap, laundry soap—and we’ve been helping them through that as well because of the fire.”
As Hawaiʻi’s food banks work to meet these rising needs, the scope of the problem has widened. It’s no longer just about providing food for families; the need for household items and essentials has also grown.
“The need is still there, even now, after the fires,” Saragossa added. “It was a reported 60% growth in the needing of our services.”
The shift toward greater food insecurity in Hawaiʻi is part of a broader trend that has been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While Hawaiʻi has had relatively low infection rates compared to the mainland U.S., food insecurity has still increased significantly.
Between 2018 and 2020, food insecurity in Hawaiʻi rose by 5.6%, with child food insecurity being particularly concerning. “Hawaiʻi ranked 6th in the U.S. for the highest projected rates of child food insecurity in 2020,” said Saragossa. “One in three children was estimated to live in a food-insecure household, just shy of 90,000 children.”
While this trend is nationwide, the challenges are even more pronounced in Hawaiʻi, where the cost of living is among the highest in the country and wages often don’t keep pace with the rising expenses of daily life.
According to USDA reports, Hawaiʻi has one of the highest rates of poverty in the U.S.; and it’s a significant predictor of food insecurity. Saragossa echoes this sentiment as she noted that food banks in Hawaiʻi are seeing an increase in people who are not only struggling with food but also with other basic necessities.
“It’s not just food anymore,” she said. “People are needing help with things like toiletries, cleaning supplies. These are the things that really add up for families who are already struggling.”
The effects of the wildfires on Maui have only amplified the issue.
“The fires definitely had a significant impact, especially last fiscal year,” Saragossa said. “We had to double up our staffing just to meet that need.”
As families rebuild their homes and lives, the demand for food assistance has surged.
“The need is still double what it was before the fires, and that’s where we are for the holiday season,” she added. “It’s still not going down. It’s continuing to go up.”
While the demand is high, Hawaiʻi’s foodbanks are doing everything it can to keep up. They’ve expanded their services to reach underserved communities, including starting two mobile distributions to assist kūpuna, (elderly residents) who cannot leave their homes to get food.
“Our kūpuna program has grown in the last 14 months,” Saragossa explained. “We’ve decided to start mobile distributions to reach underserved communities where kupuna or even other families can’t leave their homes to get food.”
The issue of food insecurity in Hawaiʻi is not just a matter of lacking food. It’s about addressing the systemic factors that contribute to hunger, such as high living costs, a lack of affordable housing and insufficient wages.
“The alignment between organizations like the Maui Food Bank and the community is what makes a difference,” Saragossa said. “When you’re connected with an organization that has a mission, it becomes more than just a job. It’s about a purpose, an assignment for your life.”
As Hawaiʻi’s food insecurity crisis deepens, local organizations like Maui Food Bank are at the forefront of providing essential services to those in need. But the road ahead will require more than just food; it will require systemic change to address the root causes of hunger and poverty in the state.
As the holidays approach, the need for food assistance remains critical.
“We’re seeing a lot of people coming in who are struggling to make it through the holidays,” Saragossa said. “The need is there, and it’s not going away anytime soon.”
She encourages anyone who can, to get involved, whether through donating or volunteering. So, this holiday season, consider giving your time to help those in need.
You can click here to learn more about the Maui Food Bank, including Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi.
You can click here to learn more about the Oʻahu Food Bank.
You can click here to learn more about the Kauaʻi Food Bank.
You can click here to learn more about the Hawaiʻi Island Food Bank.
“It all starts with trying new things,” Saragossa said. “That’s why there are volunteer opportunities to make a difference in your community.”